Smoothing Plane 1940

Herman Stroh painted "Smoothing Plane" with watercolor and graphite in 1940. Stroh's artistic practice coincided with a period of significant social and economic change, including the Great Depression and the rise of industrialization. Here, Stroh directs our attention to the elegance of a common tool. This smoothing plane would have been used by woodworkers to craft everything from mundane objects to pieces of fine carpentry. Think about the skill that went into using this plane, how it feels in the hand, and the scent of wood shavings. The painting invites a dialogue between craft and the human touch, in an era defined by mass production. What does it mean to cherish tools that require skill and time to master? Stroh asks us to consider the value of slowing down, and perhaps to find beauty in the well-worn objects that shape our everyday lives.